paterson



(No Model.) 3 sheets-Sheet 2'. J. PATE'RSON. SELF INDIGATING TARGET.

No. 449,270. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

W @Mm We; M0 2 J, Jffiarnays.

(NdModeL) s Sheets-Sheet 3. J. PATERSON. SELF INDICATING TARGET.

No. 449,270. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JAMES PATERSON, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE PATENTAND INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT SYNDICATE, LIMITED, OF

SAVE PLACE.

SELF-INDICATING TARGET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,270, dated March31, 1891. Application filed November 20, 1890. Serial No. 372,090. (Nomodel.) Patented in England July 29,1890,No.11,991-

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES PATERSON, of London, England, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented an Improvementin andRelating to Self-Indicating Targets, (which has been patented to me inEngland under No. 11,991, dated July 29, 1889,) of which the followingis a specification.

My invention has for its object improvements in and relative toself-indicating targets for rifle and revolver practice; and it consistsin, first, the construction and arrangement of mechanism forautomatically indicatin g when the target is struck and the value of thescore obtained by the shot fired, and, secondly, in combination withsaid indicating mechanism, a device or appliance for obliterating theshot-marks from the face of the target, all as herein after particularlyset forth and described.

In order that my invention maybe fully understood and readily carriedinto effect, I will 110w describe same with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicatelike parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a vertical section through line XX, Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan, of the self-indicating target asconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 4 is a rear view toa reduced scale of the target-faces or value-plates with theirspring-brackets and striker rods or pins attached; and Fig. 5 is a rearView, also to a reduced scale, of the contact-making levers andcontact-springs.

Under this invention the values of that part of the target which is tobe shot at are each composed of one plate, the series being concentric,and, excepting the bulls-eye on the same plane-that is to say, the plateA, constituting the bulls-eye, has in front of it a plate B,constituting the inner value, concentric and in the same plane withwhich is or are one or more plates constituting other values. In theaccompanying drawings I have shown two plates (1 D, representing,respeotively, the magpie and outer values.

The bulls-eye plate A is supported verti- 5o cally on a spring-bracketa, the lower end of which is secured to the framing E, and in front ofthe said bullseye plate A the inner and other value plates B O D aresimilarly and separately supported, their springbrackets being marked 13C I) in the drawings. The inner-value plate B has an aperture I) at itscenter equal in diameter to the desired size of the bulls-eye, while themagpievalue plate C, which is flush with the inner-value plate B, has anaperture in its center equal to the diameter or size of the inner plate,and in this aperture the latter is fitted, and the outer-Value plate Dis similarly formed with an aperture in its center, in which is fittedthe magpie-value plate. To the valueplates I prefer to attach lugsF,into which the striker rods or pins G are screwed; but said strikerrods or pins may be fitted in guides or in any other suitable manner.These lugs F extend upward to the same height, so as to carry thestriking-pins all at the same level. The outer-value plate, it will beobserved, will not require the lug; but a boss g may be formed directlyon the plate, into which its striking rod or pin may be screwed. Therearward ends of the pins Gbear against the upper extremities of loversH, centered loosely at their lower ends on a horizontal shaft or spindleI, carried in the framing E, a separate 8o lever being provided for eachvalue-plate of the target-face. Then any one of the said value-plates isstruck by a bullet, it moves rearward on its spring-brackets, therebycausing the striker rod or pin G of that plate to act 8 5 on its leverII and move it through avertical arc until the lever lies horizontally,as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. Each lever has a short end Itprojecting below its fulcrum, and when the lever is so moved the saidend h comes into contact with a metal spring K, causing the upperextremity of the spring to be brought against, as also seen in dottedlines,

a metal bar L, the said bar being through a wire Z in communication withan electric battery.

The lower ends of the springs K are, as is also the metal bar L, securedto a vulcanite block M, and they are by means of the wires It" inelectrical communication with an indicator situated at. the firing-pointand having separate disks to indicate the respective values, one of thesaid disks being dropped or raised into view, according to thespringtransmitter and connections through which the current is passed.Any other suitable arrangement of electric indicator may be employedwithout departing from this invention.

Around the frame E, carrying the valueplates and levers, I have avertically-sliding frame N, to which are attached cords or chains 0,leading to the firing-point. Upon a bar I, carried by this frame N, thelevers II rest when assuming the horizontal position and makingelectrical contact, as above described. The front part of the slidingframe N carries a whiting-brush Q or its equivalent, which dips into abox R, placed below and in front of the value-plates. The said boxcontains a'mixture of whiting and water or equivalent material, and whenthe 'value of the shot has been indicated, as aforesaid, the slidingframe N is pulled up by the marksman or attendant at the firing-pointand the Whitingbrush is caused to pass over the face of the target andobliterate the mark of the shot. The pulling up of the sliding frame Nat the same time causes the lever H, which had been dropped, to assumeits vertical position and break contact of the spring-transmitter. Acheck-chain U may be attached to sliding frame N to limit its upwardtravel to the amount desired.

The target-frame is supported at the desired height from the ground onstandards S. The two rear ones may be conveniently of angleiron, andwill form a guide in which a guideblock T, attached tovertically-slidingframe N, may be fitted for facilitating themanipulation of said sliding frame.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patcut, is

1. A self-indicatingtarget consisting of concentric value-platessupported by flexible pillars, each plate carrying a striker G, anunequally-pivoted contact-making lever H to each value-plate, operatedby the said striker on the longer arm of the said lever H, aspringcontact-making device operated by the shorter arm of the saidlever H, and a sliding frame opoperated from the firing position toreturn the contact-levers to their normal position, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with a self-indicating target having contact-1evers H,a spring electrical contact device, and sliding frame N, the brush Q,carried by the sliding frame N, and box B, into which the said brush Qdips, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES PA'IERSON.

Witnesses:

LINDSAY RALFs CASEY, ARTHUR SAMUEL PULLEN.

